


Angels From The Past

by Titarnia



Series: The Professor And The Assassins [1]
Category: Assassin's Creed - All Media Types, Robert Langdon Series - Dan Brown
Genre: Assassins, Desmond could use a break, Ezio and Claudia knowing more than anyone else, Illuminati, Long-Distance Friendship, Time Travel, like honestly, things from the past
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-15
Updated: 2020-11-03
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:15:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24739090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Titarnia/pseuds/Titarnia
Summary: Ezio and Claudia find themselves in Rome, but a Rome that is more modern than the Rome they know. With a leather bound notebook and a poem, they help Robert Langdon and Vittoria Vetra with finding the four missing cardinals.And it's no surprise that they know more about Langdon than the man does himself, because they know an older version of Robert Langdon. An older man they met when they were younger.
Series: The Professor And The Assassins [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1788877
Comments: 4
Kudos: 9





	1. Prologue

Sitting at the highest point looking out over Sct. Peter's square, it wasn’t the first time she wished things would progress a little faster. Hiding in the old secret pathways under the Vatican wasn’t the worst she and her brother had been through, but they had definitely been through better times. Hearing her brother behind her, she stood up and faced him. Without a word, he handed her a piece of stolen bread and they looked out over the square together. 

“It’s getting packed down there.” Her brother noted, motioning to the square under them. 

“About time I’d say.” She huffed, taking a bite from the bread. 

“Don’t worry about rushing things, Claudia. There'll be enough time for that later.” Her brother smiled at her, taking a seat and looking at the many christians already there. Tomorrow conclave would begin, tomorrow three cardinals would die. 

“I just can’t wait for this to be over.” She said, sitting down next to her brother. 

“It is indeed a strange world we are in.” Her brother agreed with her. Standing up again, her brother left her alone once again. There was a great deal of things he had to do before tomorrow’s events. 

“Ezio?” She called out, knowing her brother hadn’t left yet. She stood up and turned towards him.

“What is it, Claudia?” He asked, turning to her with a smile. He was smiling a lot lately, it was making her nervous. 

“Are we ever going to return to our own time?” She asked him. It took some time for him to answer, but when he did he had drawn her into his embrace.

“You remember what Robert said. I am sure of it, we _will_ return.” He whispered to her, placing a soft kiss on her forehead before letting her go.


	2. Chater 1 - Inside The Vatican

Moving around Vatican City was difficult. Everywhere they went, strange things filled the streets and people stared at them. Walking to where he knew there was an entrance to the underground pathways under the Vatican, Ezio Auditore and Claudia Auditore hid from the world of their future. Doing the night, Ezio would hide in the shadows, stealing what was necessary for them to survive in a world they would never live to see any other time. So many years ago, they had been given a poem and four locations by a friend they were soon to meet. The man they had met, although they knew him weary well, would not know who they were just yet. The locations were of no importance as of yet, but the poem intrigued Ezio and Claudia often found him mulling over the poem. 

_ From Santi’s earthly tomb with demon’s hole, _

_ ‘Cross Rome the mystic elements unfold. _

_ The path of light is laid, the sacred test, _

_ Let angels guide you on your lofty quest. _

The poem had been created after their time, Ezio often thought about how Leonardo would have loved to be part of this bright group of scientists.  _ He would have been right at home with them. _ Ezio thought, looking over the poem once again. He knew where the poem was leading, and he knew what to look for at the four locations. 

“He’s dead.” Claudia says, waving todays newspaper and tossing it at Ezio. 

“Fifteen days until Conclave then.” Ezio said, picking up the newspaper and reading the article. They had been in Vatican City for a few days already, and it hadn’t taken them long to learn the more modern Italien. 

“I went to the first place today.” Claudia said, looking out the window. They had located themselves inside the Vatican itself. Not in the underground passageways, but in a secret unused attic. The Assassin symbol was carved into the wooden floor, and someone had left a set of hidden blades there. Ezio was fairly sure it might have been himself. They had been sealed in a box made by Leonardo so they hadn’t taken any damage over the many years they had been there. 

“Did you find the hole?” Ezio asked, looking over at his sister. Claudia nodded and seemed to study the clouds for a moment. 

“Any luck getting something other than the floor to sleep on?” Claudia asked her brother, turning to face him. 

“We could steal something from the late pope?” Ezio asked with an apologetic look on his face. 

“Then let’s do that. I’m tired of sleeping on the floor.” And with that, Claudia walked out of the room with Ezio following close behind her. Going unnoticed my the Swiss Guard, Ezio and Claudia made it to the late pope’s bedchamber. 

“Wanna try and steal the mattress?” Ezio jokingly asked. Claudia seemed to contemplate the offer for a moment, and then decided that, yes, yes she would. Heaving a heavy and tired sigh, Ezio gathered the bedsheets and pillows and handed them to Claudia before he heaved the mattress onto his back. Claudia stole a few more trinkets, and they left the way they had come from. The underground passageways didn’t only stretch underground, but also throughout the interior of the Vatican. Entering the passageways from an opening not far from the room they had raided, they made their way up to their attic room. 

“I wish I could see the reaction on their faces when they see that only the frame of the bed is left.” Claudia said with a grin. Ezio gave his sister a smile as he placed the mattress on the wooden floor.

“It must be a sight to see.” Ezio grinned, suddenly looking out the window. 

“Ezio?”

“Something is wrong.” Ezio said, pointing down at a car approaching the building. Claudia knew exactly what he meant. Someone, who did not belong here, was about to enter the Vatican. 

“We were not told the full story, Ezio. And I don’t see why anything would change.” Claudia said, trying to reassure her brother. 

“You are right. Anything that happens, were meant to happen that way.” There would still be two weeks before anything bigger than the death of the pope happened. All they could do now, was wait until that day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While you wait for the next chapter, feel free to go read Chibi Assassin's Creed. And if you have already read that, well... then you can either read something else or just sit and wait for another chapter.
> 
> Leave a comment with your thoughts on this, and thanks for reading.


	3. Places To Go, Places To See

Sitting on the roof of one of the many buildings in Rome, a lonely shadow watched as the small parade of cars stopped. The shadow shook from a small laugh before going back down to pick up a helmet and starting the bike, driving in the same direction as the parade of cars. Getting off and tossing the helmet to the man who had joined, the shadow scaled a wall to look out over the Pantheon. Closing a small leather bound notebook, the shadow handed it over to the other who had joined it on the rooftop. 

"Wrong building, Professor." A male voice whispered out to the couple walking towards the Pantheon. Scratching his gray beard, Ezio Auditore’s eyes followed the strange couple until they were inside the building. 

“Are you going to meet them at Santa Maria del Popolo?” The shadow asked, looking over the Pantheon as Ezio leaned back from the edge. 

“No. I want you to go there and keep an eye on them, I trust you on this, Claudia.” Ezio said as he looked over at her.

“Where will you go?” She asked, taking her eyes from the Pantheon to look at her brother.

“Back to Sct. Peter’s.” He said, waiving the notebook and putting it back in his pocket.

“You’re sure he’ll be there?” She asked, looking worried as Ezio nodded and turned to leave. 

“Leave for the Chigi chapel now, Claudia.” Ezio said, his voice demanding. Looking back out over the rooftop, Claudia missed the old Rome where she could just run across the rooftops instead of riding a bike through the city. Granted, the bike was faster but there was a certain rush when jumping from one rooftop to the next. Sighing, Claudia descended the building and got ready for Langdon and Vittoria to leave the Pantheon. It didn’t take long, and the moment she saw them almost running out of the place she was off. 

The place was quiet, and she intended it to stay that way as she moved around in the rafters. Claudia watched as they hissed at each other not knowing that they were alone, the Hassassin already gone. Langdon turned around himself, stood still and pointed his thumb backwards over his left shoulder.  _ Right side, wrong end. _ Claudia thought as she made her way to the secondary left apse where the Chigi chapel was located. She smiled as Langdon was lost in the beauty that was the Chigi chapel, making sure not to be seen. Claudia almost fell down when Langdon shouted and jumped back as Vittoria pointed at the floor where the image of a skeleton sneered up at them. The mosaic skeleton was mounted on a circular stone that had been lifted up from its place in the floor, and was now off to one side of a dark opening in the floor. 

“Demon’s hole.” Claudia heard Langdon gasp as both him and Vittoria wrinkled their nose at the smell. Claudia kept observing them, thinking about the notes in the small notebook she had given Ezio earlier. It had only talked about the mosaic and the room underneath, it hadn’t included the stench that came from the hole. 

* * *

From inside the attic, Ezio looked out over Sct. Peter’s square. Looking down at the notebook, Ezio read, and not for the first time, the note about the square. 

_ Second cardinal. His lungs were punctured and he was left to die in the middle of Sct. Peter’s square. _

_ He was, like the previous cardinal, branded on the chest.  _

_ This one spelling Air in the same design as the Illuminati and Earth writing. _

_ He is waiting. _

“Three cardinals are to die before this man is caught.” Ezio said, turning around to face the man standing in the doorway to the attic while closing the notebook. 

“We can’t do anything, Ezio.” The man answered, walking closer to look out over the mass of people gathered in Sct. Peter’s square. 

“Claudia is observing them at Santa Maria del Popolo.” Ezio said, studying him.

“The Chigi chapel.” The man said in a low voice.

“Safety and peace, Desmond.” Ezio said, walking away from the window. Looking at Ezio, Desmond followed him and they sat down in an offered chair. 

“You know what is going on here?” Desmond asked and looked around the room for the first time. 

“I know what I’ve been told, and what I’ve read my way to.” Ezio answered, handing Desmond the leatherbound notebook.

“Property of Professor Robert Langdon.” Desmond read and looked up at Ezio who offered him a piece of cake.

“Eat, you need it.” Taking the offered cake, Desmond handed back the notebook.

“Care to share your knowledge?” Desmond asked as he slowly began eating. 

“Four cardinals were kidnapped by the Illuminati, or a man pretending to be working for them. Three of them die before all of this is over. All them branded with an element. The first is earth, by now he’s already dead and Claudia is watching as they pull him out of the ground in one of the chapels in the church of Santa Maria del Popolo. The second is set to die at nine in Sct. Peter’s square, his lungs punctured. The third will burn in the church of Santa Maria della Vittoria and the fourth will be drowned in the Fountain of Four Rivers.”

“You said three would die, yet you make it sound like four.”

“The last will be saved.” Ezio said, flipping through the notebook to find the note containing the details about the fountain and showing it to Desmond.

“ _ And to his rescue came a man clad in the strangest clothes, by his side a woman with the air of a noble. They helped me lift the cardinal up from the water, the man strong enough to do it by himself. As the cardinal was lifted out of the water, the man and woman ran off after the vehicle that had dropped off the cardinal. _ This is about you and Claudia.” Desmond read out loud and added his surprise. 

“This was the first he wrote of us. It is uncertain when he wrote the rest, but most of it has been added later on. And only after he got to know us.” Ezio accepted the notebook back and flipped to another page.

“ _ This was when I saw it, Ezio and Claudia Auditore were of the true Assassin brotherhood. The brotherhood that has kept itself hidden, even from history itself. _ ” Ezio read and looked at Desmond.

“At some point, you and Claudia will talk to the professor.” Desmond said with a nod and finished his cake. 

“And you as well.” Ezio said, showing another page in the notebook to Desmond who sat in silent shock. 

“Can’t be.” He whispered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had almost a full page, then I deleted almost all of it and re-did it.   
> I also had to take into account the distance between everything. So now it is humanly possible for them to get from A to B without having superhuman abilities.
> 
> Leave a comment with your thoughts on this, and thanks for reading.


	4. The Future, In The Past

**_Eight days prior_ **

As Desmond watched as Ezio and Claudia made their way into the Vatican with a single wooden box, he wondered, not for the first time, why it was so important for them to bring this box into the Vatican. They reached an unused attic where Claudia began scratching something on the floor, while Ezio placed the Wooden box on an old table. The siblings gave each other a look, a look Desmond had noticed quite often between them, and Ezio bagan helping Claudia. When they were done, a perfectly carved Assassin's symbol was carved into the wooden floor. Desmond could hear Shaun and Rebecca shout his name, feel them trying to pull him out of the Animus. But the machine wouldn't let go of him. The dust around Ezio and Claudia thickened and the box fell to the floor as the table under it gave way because of old age. Claudia disappeared, and only Ezio was left in the dusty attic. He was facing Sct. Peter’s square.

“Three cardinals are to die before this man is caught” Ezio said, turning to Desmond and closing a small notebook. Desmond saw himself walk over to Ezio, the two talking before Ezio walked away from the window.

“Safety and peace, Desmond.” Ezio said as the scene shifted again. He was in Sct. Peter's Square looking through the crowd. Desmond saw himself standing there, right in front of Ezio. 

"Go." He heard himself say as Ezio looked around in search for another man. Looking back at Desmond there, Ezio left and Desmond was thrown back out of the Animus. Bending forward, Desmond spilled out his lunch before blacking out.

It had only been a couple of hours before he woke up again. Sitting bold upright, Desmond knew immediately that he needed to go to Rome. Standing up from the bed, Desmond suddenly felt dizzy and wanted to vomit again if it wasn't because he just emptied out his stomach a few hours ago. Walking to where the others were working, he noticed that they tried not to stare at him. He didn't need a mirror to know he looked like shit right now. He had seen himself in the Animus, and he needed to go to Rome.

"Anything happened to the Pope lately?" He heard himself ask, unsure of the wanted reply.

"As a matter of fact, he died five days ago." Shaun said, sliding up his classes as he turned towards Desmond with a worried expression. 

"Ten days till conclave." Desmond mumbled. But what he had seen was the  _ day _ of conclave. He knew what had happened through Ezio, though he couldn't string together all of the facts so that they made any sense. 

"Desmond, what  _ happened _ ? We tried to get you out of the Animus, but it was like it didn't  _ wanna _ let you go. We couldn't see  _ anything _ ." Rebecca said, turning around and looking even more worried than Shaun. Sitting down, Desmond accepted a piece of toast from Shaun and began eating. When he was done, he felt even more tired than before. 

"I don’t know what happened. All I know is that once they were done carving the assassin symbol onto the floor of that attic, the whole place became even more filled with dust. The fucking table was gone!" Desmond explained, trying the best he could to describe what he had seen and felt, he told them of what had happened at Sct. Peter's Square. 

"You say it was doing conclave. But that's at  _ least _ ten days away." Shaun said, sounding like he didn't believe a word of what Desmond had just said. 

"We have to go to Rome. We  _ need _ to be there. Otherwise, I'm not sure  _ what's _ going to happen." Desmond sighed, he had hoped they were done running. But it seemed that fate had another say in the matter after all. 

"People are already gathering there, it'll be the perfect hideaway from Abstergo." Rebecca pointed out, trying to convince Shaun they needed to go to Rome. 

"And just exactly  _ where _ do you propose we hide?" Shaun asked, crossing his arms over his chest. "There's no  _ way _ we can get inside the Vatican and into that attic." Shaun pointed out, sounding even more against the idea. 

"There's the secret passageways  _ under _ the Vatican?" Desmond offered, making Rebecca nod furiously in agreement. Making a huge sigh for show, Shaun agreed and they began packing their stuff. 

They arrived in Vatican City a few days later and Shaun allowed them to go explore, but only if they stuck together as they, technically, were on the run from Abstergo. Shaun would often accompany Desmond to Sct. Peter’s square, just to watch the american stand still and do nothing. They still had a few days before conclave, yet all Desmond did was stare into nothing. Sometimes, Shaun would notice a calculating gaze coming from Desmond but just as suddenly as it had come, just as quickly it was gone again. Desmond was battling something in his mind, and it wasn’t the first time it was just the first time Shaun had seen it with his own eyes as Rebecca was busy setting up animus 2.0 right under the Vatican. 

“I snuck up to the basement last night. There wasn’t anybody there.” Desmond said, looking out over Sct. Peter’s square.

“Why in the world would you do that?” Shaun asked, a hint of amusement in his voice. Desmond shrugged and looked backward over his shoulder to look at Shaun. Shaun saw sadness in Desmond’s eyes and a tear rolled down the man’s cheek.

“I feel kinda lost, when I’m not in the animus going through their memories.” Desmond said, turning his head away from Shaun. 

“We can’t really put you in the animus, it keeps shoving you out right away. Not even Rebecca knows why.” Shaun said and walked up next to Desmond. “Let’s go back.” Desmond nodded and let Shaun lead him back to their hideout under the Vatican. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's safe to say that I already had about half this chapter when I wrote the previous chapter.  
> Let's hope this goes where I want it to.
> 
> Leave a comment with your thoughts, and thanks for reading.


	5. History Lesson

**_The day before Conclave_ **

Sitting on a wooden crate with Shaun’s laptop, Desmond looked at videos of Professor Robert Langdon. His take on symbolism was amazing, and Desmond found himself getting more and more interested in the man’s work. Hiding was the safest option for Desmond at the moment as he hadn’t asked Shaun but just taken the guy’s laptop. 

“Desmond!!” Shaun called, more in anger that his laptop was gone than any real reason. 

“ _ The Priory Of Sion is an old group and can be traced as far back as to the knights templar...”  _ The video cut out as Shaun found Desmond and closed the laptop down hard. 

“Hey!! I was watching that!!” Desmond yelled as he jumped away from the laptop, and Shaun. 

“On  _ my _ laptop!” Shaun yelled back as he picked up the aforementioned laptop and left. 

“Come on Shaun! He was talking about history!!” Desmond said, following Shaun back to where Rebecca was fiddling with the animus. 

“What history?” Rebecca asked, popping her head out of her computer.

“The Priory Of Sion and how they’re connected to the Templars.” Desmond answered, still following Shaun.

“And why are you suddenly so interested in history?” Shaun asked with a skeptical glance at Desmond. 

“Remember Maria? Altaïr’s wife? I had a pretty heavy bleeding effect some time ago about her and Altaïr talking about it.” Desmond said, reaching for Shaun’s laptop.

“Fine!” Shaun sighed and handed Desmond his laptop. 

“ _... not much is known of the priory. What is certain is their fight with another group, Opus Dei. One of the Priory’s grand masters was said to be none other than Leonardo Da Vinci himself, together with quite the number of other well known people throughout history.”  _ Desmond paused the video as Shaun looked over his shoulder.

“The Priory Of Sion. Opus Dei. Even Leonardo Da Vinci. This priory must be something.” Shaun mumbled.

“Where did you even find that?” Rebecca asked, looking over Desmond’s other shoulder. 

“On this USB drive.” Desmond said pointing to the USB in the laptop.

“And where did you find that?” Shaun asked, reaching to pull it out.

“In the attic.” Desmond said with an air of innocence. 

“Someone left a USB drive in the attic?” Rebecca asked, slapping at Shaun’s hand that was still ready to take out the USB. 

“It said  _ ‘To Desmond Miles _ ’ on it.” Desmond answered. Desmond hit play and the video kept going on about Opus Dei and their connection to the church and the priory. 

“ _ Desmond. If you’re watching this it means Ezio and Claudia either left it for you, or they gave it to you. Do not try the animus, it will not let you in as you and Ezio are in the same timeline. On the day of conclave, go to the attic at eight. You’ll meet him there. _ ” The video cut off and there was a thick silence from all three of them. 

“Anyone else finding this would get bored halfway through and just toss it.” Shaun mused, taking the laptop and re-running the last part where Robert Langdon talked directly to Desmond. 

“Now you have something to do in five days.” Rebecca said, going back to her work on the animus.

“What are you doing with it?” Desmond asked her.

“Upgrading her. Smoother transition and all, seeing as you won’t be going in for a while I might as well get her in top shape for you.” Rebecca grinned. 

“Rebecca. You’re the best. What would I do without you.” Desmond grinned and hugged her before following after Shaun. 

“You would suffer!!” She shouted after him as a joke, making Desmond let out a small laugh. 

“Here.” Shaun said and handed Desmond the USB drive. “You better hold on to that.”

“Thanks.” 

Scaling the tallest part of the Vatican without the Swiss guard noticing you was much harder than Desmond had thought. Staying hidden on  _ top _ of the vatican was easy, nobody ever looked that far up. Desmond looked out over Sct. Peter’s square as people from all over gathered for conclave. He couldn’t stop thinking about the USB drive in his pocket. They way the professor had looked at the camera, like he was desperate for Desmond to know and understand the importance of The Priory Of Sion. But how did a professor from  Massachusetts  know Ezio and Claudia? More important than that, was the dates on the videos. They had been filmed a year from now. Desmond ran a hand through his hair, it had grown quite a bit since it all started, and heaved a sigh. He would have to ask Rebecca to cut it for him once he came back, which he dreaded. They didn’t like it when he went out on his own, not that he would go far without them, and Shaun always gave a whole lecture whenever he came back. 

There wasn’t much happening, not much had happened in the last few days and Desmond was growing restless. Aside from scaling Sct. Peter’s Church, Desmond had walked around Sct. Peter’s Square and had made it a habit to do it every day. It became less and less fun for Shaun to tag along as people really started to gather. Especially the day before Conclave. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's screw it all up with some foreshadowing for the next installment for this fic, that isn't bound to happen in a loooong time just yet. 
> 
> Leave a comment with your thoughts on this, and thanks for reading.


End file.
